6 Best Walking Hats for Different Types of Weather

Hat hair potential: Low. You can adjust the visor so it goes below your hairline and doesn't crush your hairdo. But a visor is like driving a convertible, offering no overhead protection from the elements.

Hat hair potential: High. Things are likely to get steamy under your hat. But you can find a cap for all seasons—sweat-wicking breathable summer caps, waterproof rainy weather caps, insulated winter caps, and even caps with built-in LED lights and reflective strips for night walking. Buy Direct has hats with walking slogans. The Hytail Hat (pictured) has an extra-long ponytail hole so you can wear it with a high ponytail.

Hat hair potential: Extreme. Be prepared for major hair repair after wearing a sun hat. Men may prefer to rock a boonie hat, a soft hat that provides just enough shade for the face and neck. Straw hats, cowboy hats, and more can be used to keep the sun off your head and neck. Sunday Afternoons makes a variety of adventure sun hats for walking and hiking.

Hat hair potential: Moderately high. It depends on how you wear it. The reality show "Survivor" helped popularize the Buff, a seamless microfiber tube. You can wear a Buff at least 12 different ways on your head. When you don't want it on your head, you can wear it around your neck instead. You can also wear it as a tube top or skirt.

Hat hair potential: High. Even in the cold, your head can steam and sweat, and most winter walking hats will crush your hairdo.

The ideal winter walking hat has a bill to shade your eyes and keep the rain and snow out of them while insulating your head and ears to keep them warm.

Your basic beanie hat works fine for winter walking if you don't mind sun and wind in your face. It does the job of keeping your head and ears warm.

As it gets below the freezing point, you may want to add a neck gaiter or balaclava.

Hat hair potential: Moderate to high. It's raining, so your hairdo is likely to suffer from the humidity as well as rubbing against your hat or hood.

Standard rainy weather headgear includes a waterproof hood on a waterproof jacket. The best hoods have a short bill built in to guide the rain away from your eyes, and they cinch up to keep rain from blasting in under your hood.

You can also buy waterproof versions of boonie hats, sun hats, beanies, and winter fleece hats. However, it usually isn't the rain coming down on top of your head that's the problem, it's keeping the rain from getting in under your hat and dripping down your neck and under your jacket and shirt.

Wearing a non-waterproof hoodie in the rain is almost worse than wearing nothing. The rain will soak in and then you have wet fabric against your skin, further chilling you.